


The Spy Who Loved Me (Bucky Barnes)

by sal20nini



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Betrayal, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Bucky Barnes Remembers, Bucky Barnes's Metal Arm, Edgar Allan Poe References, F/M, Hydra (Marvel), Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe, POV Bucky Barnes, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), References to Oscar Wilde
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:00:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26084578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sal20nini/pseuds/sal20nini
Summary: Bucky is back from Wakanda and has recovered from his Winter Soldier self. He now works with Steve and the rest of the Avengers to destroy whatever is left of H.Y.D.R.A.On one such mission, Bucky has a chance to save someone from the torture he had been subjected to all those years ago. But, is she really who he thinks she is?
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader
Kudos: 4





	The Spy Who Loved Me (Bucky Barnes)

_**"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,** _  
_**Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,** _  
_**As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.** _  
_**' Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door—Only this and nothing more."** _

Y/N's head lay in Bucky's lap as she read to him. He ran his hand through her silky hair, smiling down at her, tenderly. He loved the way her voice echoed through the room and the way she read the same poem again and again, each time as if it were the first time.

_**"Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;** _  
_**And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.** _  
_**Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow** _  
_**From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore—Nameless here forevermore."** _

That reminded him of the cold December night when he had first met her, locked up like a wild animal in a H.Y.D.R.A facility. It was one of Bucky's first missions after his rehabilitation in Wakanda. Steve and Nat had accompanied him on what was supposed to be an easy take-out. They had been following up on intel they had received about secret H.Y.D.R.A facilities like the one Bucky had been held in. So far they had been fortunate to not find any Winter Soldier subjects, but that was about to change.

* * *

_**"** _ _**And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain** _  
_**Thrilled me—filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before; So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating** _  
_**"' Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door—Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;—This it is and nothing more."** _

They infiltrated the secret base in the dead of the night. As soon as they were inside, they knew this facility was different. It was filled with modern tech and was guarded by heavy security, unlike the others. Of course, the security was no match for the deadly trio. However, the question remained- what were they protecting... or whom?

"Level zero is secure. Barnes come in" Nat's voice over the comms pulled Bucky out of his thoughts.

"There seems to be no movement from up here. Steve?"

There was no response.

"Cap? Cap come in" Nat repeated.

"Secure the exits. We have company." Steve's voice alerted them.

"I've got the exits. Barnes get yourself to Cap, now!"

"Affirmative" Bucky replied as he ran to Steve's location. He was supposed to secure North wing but the GPS showed he had ventured into an unmarked area. Typical Steve.

Bucky looked at his GPS again. He was standing right where Steve was supposed to be. He slammed the monitor, cursing modern technology. He then proceeded to curse himself when he spotted an open trapdoor.

It was darker and colder down there. Bucky pointed his flashlight before him.

There were hospital beds and monitors and other medical equipment he couldn't name. As he looked around the room, it started to seem more familiar to Bucky, but the memory was hazy. After all the months he had spent trying to forget his time at H.Y.D.R.A, for the first time Bucky felt disappointed that he could not remember.

"Buck there has to be someone here. I can almost sense it but I have looked everywhere," This time it was Steve's voice ushering him back to reality.

"I feel like I know what this is, Steve"

" I don't think you should be here, Buck" Steve's voice was gentle.

"No! I'm okay. I just know I've seen this stuff before. Maybe not here, but somewhere else. Whatever is going on here, it definitely ain't good." Bucky touched the restraints that were attached to the bed.

"I know psych cleared you for this, but if this is bringing stuff back, it might not be good for you," Steve warned.

"You don't understand, Steve. You refuse to understand." Bucky shook his head.

He had tried to tell Steve a billion times before. Tried to make him understand. The Winter Soldier was still James 'Bucky' Barnes. Yes, H.Y.D.R.A did control him, but those hands that killed all those people, those were still his hands. Those memories, they still belonged to him. He remembered their faces, their eyes before they took their last breath. He remembered how H.Y.D.R.A had experimented on him like a guinea pig. He had remembered all of it until he had to forget it. Until he had to forget once again so that he could be a part of this world again. A world with his best friend by his side.

**"** _**Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,** _  
_**"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;** _  
_**But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,** _  
_**And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,** _  
_**That I scarce was sure I heard you"—here I opened wide the door;—Darkness there and nothing more."** _

And just like that, it all came back to him like a tsunami wave. Bucky held onto one of the metal poles as he felt himself fall when the memories rushed in.

"Bucky, what's happening, Buck?" Steve rushed towards his friend.

Bucky willed himself to move again. He ignored Steve's concerned inquiries and made long strides to the East wall of the room.

"There's a room behind this. The door is voice-activated, we have to find a way in." He looked at Steve.

That was enough for Steve to surmise what had just happened. But it was crystal clear that they had no time to discuss if Bucky getting his memory back was good or bad.

"On 3 then?" Steve backed away along with Bucky.

On three the two of them ran into the wall together, breaking into the secret room.

Steve was horrified when he saw the metal cages and bodies that lay in them. There were around twenty of them.

"Get off her," Bucky shouted as he ran ahead.

That's when Bucky saw him. A man in a lab coat was hunched over a girl's body in the very last cage. Bucky shot at his arms which made him drop the syringe he was holding. He threw him across, flying straight to Steve.

"What is going on here! Who the hell are you!" Steve grabbed the man demanding answers, "no, no, no spit it out!" Steve tried to stop the man from swallowing something but it was already too late. There was froth on his mouth and his body shook uncontrollably.

"Steve.." Bucky's voice was almost a whisper. He was holding the syringe filled with a pale yellow liquid.

"Is she okay?"

"She's got a steady pulse, but she's weak." He shot at the metal chains to free her. "Whatever is in that hasn't taken effect or we came just in time."

"I'll check on the rest, maybe we can help them." Steve spoke into the comms, "Nat we've got bodies, call in medbay asap." He rushed to the rest of the cages.

Bucky splashed water on her face. "Stay with me, okay, my name is James, I'm going to get you out of here, okay" She was like putty in his arms. She tried hard to keep her eyes open and sip on the water he had offered her.

When Bucky attempted to move she held him back with the strength she could muster. "I'll be back, love, don't worry, just stay here, okay." She let go and Bucky searched the rest of the room. There had to be some clue as to what they were doing with these people.

Steve hadn't found anything useful on the man in the lab coat, although his badge did say he was a doctor. Bucky feared the worst, he knew too well that H.Y.D.R.A doctors were not a good sign.

Bucky made his way to the fireplace. The wood burned along with paper and something else. Bucky retrieved the items carefully and put out the fire but most papers had already turned to ash. He prayed this would be enough.

"Get outta there they're blowing that section up," Nat announced, she was now helping Steve carry out the bodies. "Too many bodies, they're doing an aerial evac," she added.

"That's going to take a while," Bucky muttered.

"Nothin' we can do about it," She shrugged.

"I'm taking this one out now, she needs immediate attention," He pointed to the last cage, " and I got these outta the fireplace, get it to tech." He handed the items to Nat on the way.

"We've got help okay," Bucky informed the girl, "I'm going to carry you to them, hang on tight."

The girl nodded weakly.

Bucky picked her up gently. "You tell me if you're in pain, okay." He moved as quickly as he could, careful not to make sudden movements. He could feel the faint thump of her heartbeat against his chest. "You're safe now," He whispered as he neared the exit.

Her body began to shiver as soon as they were outside. Bucky told himself it was because of the cool December breeze.

"Help! Here! Blankets! Quick!" He shouted over the loud sound of the helicopter blades.

The medics jumped out with a stretcher before the helicopter touched the ground.

"We'll take it from here Agent."

"Thank...you," she struggled to get the words out, "... _James_." She gave him a weak smile as they carried her away.

_(back at the facility)_

"Cap...agents," Maria Hill greeted the trio with a nod. The three of them had freshened up and rushed to the briefing room.

They took turns explaining what they had seen at the H.Y.D.R.A facility.

"So Agent Barnes just knew about this secret room behind the wall?" Hill questioned.

Steve couldn't blame her. Even though Bucky had technically become a part of the team, it didn't necessarily mean that everyone trusted him. If they suspected that Bucky had got his memory back that could make trusting him even harder for them. Steve was sure he didn't want to bet on their goodwill.

"He said he heard something and when I checked the wall was hollow," Steve said nonchalantly, "so we just broke right in."

Bucky's legs were shaking impatiently. He'd waited till the briefing had drawn to its end to ask what was killing him inside.

"The girl...is she alright?"

"She's stable now. They are taking care of her recovery in the medbay as we speak." Hill tensed up a little, "as for the others they were dead on arrival. The contents of the vial you retrieved was some kind of re-engineered version of pentobarbital. The lab is determining the exact chemical components."

"But why re-engineer something that's already effective?"

"I'm glad you asked, Dr. Banner," Hill smirked, "we have a theory, of course, we're still in the process of data retrieval but from what we've gathered it's clear that they were running experiments on human subjects."

She proceeded to pull up the gathered data on the screen.

"From the drives and files that Agent Barnes was able to retrieve, we have reason to believe that the subjects were being starved. We haven't been able to determine the details yet but we are hoping the survivor can give us some clues." The screen went blank. "That's our official statement, if you ask me, the secrecy and the extreme security measures suggest that they are working on the serum again. We're testing the survivor's blood to try and determine what it exactly is."

"Do you think they are restarting the program?" He wasn't leaning back in his chair anymore.

"After what happened the last time?" Bucky asked.

"Think about it," Stark took off his glasses and leaned forward, "Zemo killed their all-powerful bad boy inventory, maybe they were using all this time to perfect their formulation. We should pray there's just this one set of guinea pigs."

"If they had perfected the serum, why kill the subjects?" Everyone was stunned to hear Wanda Maximoff. She wasn't the 'asking questions in a meeting' type of person. Then again she too had been captured and imprisoned by H.Y.D.R.A.

"Look one way or another they were gonna die," Sam was the first to break the silence, "if they had tried something these guys would've surely taken them out. They killed all the H.Y.D.R.A men in that facility. My guess is that that white coat was ordered to kill the subjects before we could bring them in alive."

"Hill said that they were being starved, right?" Clint looked around the table. "Starvation, that's one way to keep them weak enough to allow easy control. It's the oldest trick in the book."

"Let's hope that when the time comes our survivor is happy to answer all our questions," Agent Hill stood and smiled at the small gathering, "we'll meet again once we have more intel."

One by one the mighty Avengers exited the briefing room. Bucky lingered around so that he could talk to Agent Hill alone.

"Agent Barnes good work on retrieving those papers and devices. We couldn't have gathered all this information without it."

Bucky allowed himself a polite smile in response before asking what had been on his mind all along.

"Would it be possible for me to check up on the girl?"

"Visits cannot be permitted until we've completed her evaluation. I'm sure you understand Agent Barnes." She smiled.

That was the thing. Bucky did understand. He understood it very well in fact. He had to walk down that exact path and Steve could've very well saved him from being subjected to it again.   
True, they were no H.Y.D.R.A but when they couldn't trust you it was very difficult to describe them or their methods as friendly. Bucky didn't wish that upon the girl. The last thing she needed after surviving that hell hole was being tortured for information.

But Bucky let Agent Hill walk out of the room. He was in no position to demand anything here. Luckily he knew just the person who did.

* * *

_**"** _ _**Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,** _  
_**Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;** _  
_**But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,** _  
_**And the only word there spoken was the whispered word,** _  
_**"Lenore?"This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!"—Merely this and nothing more."** _

"That won't be pretty, trust me." Y/N turned around to find the source of the voice. It was the man with the metal arm. The man who had saved her. At least that's what she was led to believe. He was leaning against one of the walls which lined the stairs to the rooftop. With one leg propped against the wall, he looked like a flamingo to her. But, of course, he wore an all-black ensemble complete with a black leather jacket. His long brown hid his face from view. She caught the glint of a silver flask in his hands, the contents of which he swiftly consumed.

Although she had turned to face him, Y/N hadn't backed away from the edge. She wouldn't lie. The thought had crossed her mind but something always made her stop. Maybe, she just wasn't brave enough to save herself. 

Every day that she had spent trapped in the cage like an animal she had thought about what she would do if she got out of there. No, she couldn't risk meeting her family. They would never be safe now, now that they had her. She would run away. Shed her old skin like a snake and assume a new identity. But a voice in her head chided her. ' _How long till they find you again_?', it said. So she had made up her mind. As soon as she was out of there she would take control of the situation. She would end this misery once and for all for the sake of the ones she loved the most. It was a small price to pay for their safety. But still, as she stood there on the edge of the rooftop staring down at the busy city streets it didn't seem so simple.

"Vodka?" He walked towards her offering the silver flask, "it helps me clear my mind."

A clear mind was exactly what Y/N wanted. She walked away from the edge accepting his offering. He looked at her as she took a big swig. Y/N felt like he could peek right into her soul as if he already knew all her secrets.

"I don't know how much they've told you about who we are and what we do here but believe me when I tell you that I've been in your shoes." His voice was sincere and even if it hadn't been Y/N knew that she would've trusted him. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he had been the one to carry her out of the prison she had been in.

He sat down with his legs outstretched. Y/N did the same as she returned his flask.

"The people who took you, they.." She thought she heard his voice crack, "they got to me too, a long time ago." He paused to take another sip. "I managed to escape many years later but when I n didn't have to be alone, then. I understand that now and I wish I had realised it sooner." There was a hint of a smile on his face but it vanished as quickly as it had arrived. 

He gave her the flask again. Their fingers brushed lightly as she took it. It felt odd to touch someone again. Sure there had been lots of white coats and trained soldiers but they were far from gentle. She remembered her surprise when he had carried her away from the cage, ever so gently. She thought it had been a fever dream. Humans were not gentle. She had found that out the hard way.

"The guy who was with me when we got out, his name is Steve. We go way back, him and I" Y/N could see the ghost of nostalgia dance in his pupils. "He would've had my back if I'd just let him. I wouldn't have had to-" He broke off abruptly. "Anyway," his voice was lighter now but sincere still, "I just want you to know that you don't have to figure everything out yourself. You don't have to fight your demons alone, Y/N."

The sound of her name on his lips startled Y/N. She forced herself to look away. She couldn't let him see how vulnerable she was right now. Broken and confused. 

He got up soundlessly, taking the flask from her hands. Y/N didn't move, nor did she look up at him. 

"Look, I just don't want you to make the same mistake I made. You can talk to any of us about anything...well, maybe not Banner," He quickly added, "he can be unpredictable."

Y/N got the feeling that it was meant to be a joke but she didn't quite understand it. With no more alcohol to calm her nerves, the cold winter breeze made her shiver.

"If you need any more of this," she could hear the sound of liquid sloshing and guessed he was referring to the Vodka, "I'm on the third, opposite the door with a big ole American flag." He laughed.

Only after she heard the faint click of the door did she look to where he had been sitting. The black leather jacket had been left behind. 

_James._ She remembered his name, though she had never said it out loud since that day. 

She picked it up. It smelt like coffee and gunpowder. Had he left it intentionally? She dismissed the thought and welcomed the warmth instead.

* * *

**"** _**Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,** _  
_**Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.** _  
_**"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice;** _  
_**Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore—** _  
_**Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;—** _  
_**'Tis the wind and nothing more!"** _

Two nights had passed since he had met Y/N on the rooftop. He kept reminding himself that he had done the most he could. A soft knock on his door shook him out of his thoughts. His eyes flicked to the vintage alarm clock on his bedside table. 2 A.M. Steve would be fast asleep by now. 

_**"Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,** _  
_**In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore;** _  
_**Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;** _  
_**But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door—** _  
_**Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door—** _  
_**Perched, and sat, and nothing more.** _  
_**Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,** _  
_**By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,** _  
_**"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,** _  
_**Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore—** _  
_**Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"** _  
_**Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."** _

He opened the door to find her standing there, wearing his jacket. He caught himself smiling. 

"Can I," her voice seemed hoarse, 'take you up on that offer?" She kept her hands in the pockets of the jacket.

"Yeah," the door shut abruptly startling Y/N. 

"Just give me a minute," his voice echoed and soon the door was ajar again. He wore black sweatpants and a grey sweatshirt.

"You know usually when people say yes they don't shut the door in your face," she said as she entered. Her tone was teasing.

"Had to tidy up," he produced a glass bottle half full with transparent liquid, "I don't usually have company over...except Steve, of course. But he's most probably fast asleep by now." Bucky was aware that he was rambling now. Something about her made him nervous. It had taken him some time to get used to having conversations again. Even now his social circle was limited to the people in the facility.

Y/N looked around the room. It was small and cosy. From the curtains to the sheets everything in the room was a different shade of grey. A fair amount of books offered the only splash of colour in the room, apart from his eyes, of course. 

"I didn't think of you as a reader, James Barnes." Y/N observed his bookshelf. Poetries and classics. The wear and tear of Oscar Wilde's 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' caught her eye. _The guilt of a man who doesn't age_.

So she did remember his name. Or maybe she had read that damn sign on the door. Every member had their own room in the facility, complete with a nameplate on the door. Steve, Sam and Wanda were on the same floor as him while Clint, Nat and Hill were on the floor below. Bruce and Stark had chosen rooms closer to the lab on the ground floor. 

"Was it the clothes or the guns," he chuckled earning a smile from Y/N, "and feel free to call me Bucky, everyone does."

"Bucky Barnes" she murmured to herself as she continued to look around the room. Bucky was rummaging through a small cabinet that stood at the far end of the small room. 

A few minutes later Bucky held up a coffee mug. "I'm sorry I don't have any glasses around," he said as he slumped down to the floor, his back against the bed. Y/N did the same, propping herself opposite him with her back against the wall. It was just like the rooftop except for the bottle he had set down on the hardwood floor.

"I almost forgot..." she started to take off his jacket as he poured vodka into the coffee mug.

"Keep it," he said handing her the now full mug, "I have a lot of those."

"I can see that," she laughed pointing at the pile of clothes he had kicked under his bed when he was 'tidying up'.

The sound of her sweet laugh echoed through the room. It reminded Bucky of the fun and frolic during summertime in Coney Island. 

"As I said," he clinked the bottle against her mug, "I'm not used to company."

"Where is home for you?" She asked after taking a sip.

Anyone else would have asked it in the usual manner but not Y/N, Bucky noted. She had to know more about him than he had thought. Maybe they had briefed her on all of the Avengers.

The definition of home did change when you had lived what felt like a thousand lives. Brooklyn would've been the most simple answer to the question but in the years that had passed since it felt like a half-truth. To Bucky, home was wherever Steve was.

"Brooklyn," he said instead. Y/N was grateful that he hadn't flipped the question on her, instead his ocean eyes observed her carefully. 

His eyes, Y/N realised with a faint throb in her chest, were like the glistening ocean that lined her quaint sea-side town. It reminded her of her childhood, the hours she had spent on the beach collecting tiny crabs with her brother. 

"Thank you," her voice was almost a whisper.

"For the drink?" he asked.

"For what you said on the roof," she looked away, unable to meet his eyes, "and for saving me."

"You would've done the same," he said, surprising Y/N.

"What makes you say that?" She raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Intuition." He shrugged.

"I'm afraid your friends don't share the same views," she laughed sarcastically. "They question me like I'm on trial for murder!" She raised her voice.

"I-I'm not defending them," his voice sincere, "but they have good reason to."

Y/N rolled her eyes in response.

"Hear me out," he urged, "before I came here, I was like you. An experiment and then a weapon." Y/N flinched at his words though he didn't mean for them to hurt. "They made me forget everything about my life. I only knew one thing: to kill. I did all their dirty work. I killed my own friends.." He trailed off. "Till I was brought here on a murder trial." 

Y/N's eyes widened.

"I was framed, Steve believed me and that was enough." His eyes seemed distant now. "I have done terrible things, hurt some of the people that I work with right now but they did accept me. It took some time, but they did."

"But you had someone who would stand up for you. Someone who knew you." She sighed.

"You have that too. I'm with you and so is Steve. You might not know it but we've managed to pull some strings. Trust me, your investigation would've been way harsher than it is right now." He took a big swig straight from the bottle.

If he was anything like her, the alcohol would only give him a light buzz. 

"Do you think they'd let me be like you?" She asked.

"I'm pretty sure Hill is always hungry for new recruits," he laughed, "once you complete your evaluation they should start the training. I could volunteer to train you."

"You would?" Y/N's eyes were wide.

"Sure." Bucky gave her a small smile. "I might be an old man but I could still teach you a trick or two." He joked.

"I'd like that," she smiled. 

Y/N chugged the remaining contents of the mug and stood up abruptly. The room spun around her. She put her hand against the wall to steady herself.

"I should get going," she said.

Bucky was also standing now. Ready to catch Y/N just in case.

"You can stay if you want," he said softly, "I know how bad the nightmares can get."

His words shocked her yet again. How did he know?

"You get them too?" she asked

"They had stopped for a while until they came back after..." he looked away unable to meet her gaze, "after we got you out."

"I-I'm sorry." Y/N felt responsible in some way.

"Don't be," he was looking at her now. "It's not your fault. Maybe I don't want myself to forget who I was, the crimes I committed..." he trailed off. "Sleep is a small price to pay for my sins," he added and looked away again.

"We don't have to fight our demons alone, Bucky Barnes." Her hands had folded into his as her thumb brushed against his knuckles to reassure him. 

When their eyes met, Bucky realised that she was smiling at him. Waves of warmth surged through his body for the first time in forever. She was beautiful, standing there in his leather jacket.

He couldn't look away. God, why couldn't he look away?

He felt drawn towards her, his gaze flicking to her lips momentarily. 

_'I could kiss her...'_ he thought to himself.

"I'll grab the sleeping bag," he said instead, pulling away from her.

"Uh, yeah, sure" Y/N tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, shyly. 

She hoped Bucky wouldn't notice that her cheeks had for sure changed colour. If not from the moment they had just shared then from the embarrassment of her thoughts for sure. 

Bucky emerged shortly with a sleeping bag in his hand.

"This is for me, you can take the bed, of course," he smiled.

"Hey! No! This is your room. I can take the bag." Y/N protested as she attempted to pull the sleeping bag out of his grasp.

"I insist!" Bucky held the bag away from her. Y/N retreated to his bed respectfully.

She pulled up the covers enveloping herself in his scent. Coffee and gunpowder.

He picked a book off the shelf. Y/N squinted her eyes as she tried to see the title.

"The Raven," he said seeing her struggle.

"Poe," she nodded her head, "an interesting choice."

"It helps me sleep sometimes," Bucky spread the sleeping bag on the floor next right to the bed. Y/N shifted to her side so she could see him. "I thought it could help you too," he grinned at her and began to read.

_"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary......"_

* * *

_**"...And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting** _  
_**On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;** _  
_**And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,** _  
_**And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;** _  
_**And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor** _  
_**Shall be lifted—nevermore!"** _

Y/N closed the book. Bucky was fast asleep. She recalled how he had read it to her and they had both fallen asleep. Neither of them had had any nightmares that night. They had decided to read it to each other whenever sleep seemed to evade them. It had become their 'thing'.

Y/N pulled the covers over him and planted a kiss on his forehead. Bucky murmured something in his sleep that instantly made her smile.

She shut the lamp on his bedside and padded across to her side of the bed quietly in the dark. Her watch buzzed just as she was about to sit down.

Her eyes widened as she saw the message displayed on the screen.

" _It's Time_."

**Author's Note:**

> I spent a ton of time on this. I hope I can write the next part soon. The poem is 'The Raven' by Edgar Allan Poe. This is not the complete poem. I have used verses which I thought fit best with the part I was writing. I tried this for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed it.  
> I really do think Bucky would sort of connect with 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' and it would be one of his go-to books to read?
> 
> I'd appreciate your thoughts!


End file.
